My good friend Hannah Kaminsky shared this wonderful everyday recipe with us. Unlike many sesame noodle salads, she uses tahini (sesame paste) instead of peanut butter (or just sesame oil) to stay true to the sesame theme and to keep this dish entirely nut-free!
As is, this is a very light vegan sesame noodle salad, but you can throw in whatever additions you like. For added protein, Hannah suggests chunks of baked tofu or tempeh, or some shelled edamame.
- 7 – 8 Ounces Soba Noodles or Spaghetti (use 100% buckwheat soba, bean, corn, or rice noodles for gluten-free)
- ⅓ Cup Tahini
- 3 Tablespoons Soy Sauce (use wheat-free tamari for gluten-free)
- 1 Tablespoon Rice Vinegar
- ¼ Cup Water
- 1 Garlic Clove
- ½ Inch Fresh Ginger Root
- 1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar
- ½ – 1 Teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 Carrot
- 1 Zucchini
- 2 Tablespoons Toasted Sesame Seeds
- 2 Tablespoons Chopped Chives
- Cook the noodles as you normally would, drain, and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the tahini, soy sauce, vinegar, and water. Finely mince the garlic and ginger before stirring them in as well, along with the sugar and pepper.
- Dump the noodles into the bowl and toss them so that they’re all thoroughly coated with sauce.
- Peel your carrot and julienne it, along with the zucchini, before tossing them into the bowl and mixing again.
- Cover with plastic wrap and throw the whole thing into your refrigerator until you’re ready to serve. It will last 2 or 3 days, but the sauce will become thicker/dryer as it grows older, so you may want to stir in extra water if that’s the case.
- When you’re ready to eat, just sprinkle sesame seeds and fresh chives over the top.